Comprehensive Guide to Python Methods

Introduction

Python is a versatile and powerful programming language with a vast ecosystem of built-in types, libraries, and frameworks. Each of these components comes with its own set of methods, making it a challenging task to compile a complete list of all Python methods. However, this guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the built-in methods available for some common Python types, along with instructions on how to find methods programmatically and access the official documentation for further details.

Common Built-in Types and Their Methods

String Methods

Strings in Python are one of the most fundamental types and come with a variety of methods. Here are some common methods you can use on strings:

str.lower() - Converts the string to lowercase str.upper() - Converts the string to uppercase str.split() - Splits the string by a given delimiter and returns a list of substrings

List Methods

Lists are another essential built-in type in Python, and they come with a wide range of methods for data manipulation. Some commonly used methods include:

list.extend() - Adds elements from a list, or from an iterable, to the end of the current list list.pop() - Removes the last element from the list and returns it

Dictionary Methods

Python dictionaries are used to store data values in key:value pairs. They also offer a variety of useful methods:

dict.update() - Updates the dictionary with the elements from another dictionary object or from an iterable of key:value pairs dict.pop() - Removes the element with the specified key and returns its value

Set Methods

Sets in Python are unordered collections of unique elements. Here are some methods commonly used with sets:

set.union() - Returns a new set with all items from both sets set.difference() - Returns a set containing the difference between two or more sets

Tuple Methods

Tuples are immutable sequences in Python. While they are less mutable than lists, they still have a few built-in methods for working with them:

Note that tuple objects do not have many methods, as tuples are immutable. However, some methods include:

Finding Methods Programmatically

One of the easiest ways to discover the methods available for any object in Python is to use the built-in dir() function. This function provides a list of valid attributes or methods for any object. Here’s how you can use it:

lst  [1, 2, 3]print(dir(lst))a_string  "Hello, World!"print(dir(a_string))

Running the above code will display all the methods and attributes available for a list and a string, respectively.

Official Documentation

The official Python documentation is an invaluable resource for developers. It contains extensive details on built-in types, their methods, and methods available in various libraries. You can access it via the following links:

Built-in Functions Built-in Types

These resources provide a comprehensive overview of all built-in types and their methods, as well as methods available in various libraries and modules.

In conclusion, while it's not feasible to list all Python methods in a single list, understanding the built-in methods for common types like strings, lists, dictionaries, sets, and tuples is crucial for effective programming. Additionally, tools like the dir() function and the official Python documentation can be immensely helpful in discovering and using methods beyond the basic ones covered in this guide.